Alignment means for an immersible pump

ABSTRACT

A guide means is provided for a pump such that the guide, affixed to a cylindrical guide pipe, engages a guide sleeve on a pump. The sleeve is so designed that the guide forces the pump into proper alignment with a delivery line.

United States Patent Blum Mar. 19, 1974 [54] ALIGNMENT MEANS FOR AN 3.018.925 1/1962 Englesson 1. 417/424 IMMERSIBLE PUMP FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [76] Inventor: Albert mum, Scheidefhohe, 1.187.931 2/1965 Germany 417/360 Siegkries, Germany [22] Filed: June 8, 1971 Primary Examiner-William L. Freeh Assistant Examiner-Gregory P. LaPointe Appl' 150965 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Lilling & Siegel [52] US. Cl. 417/360 57 ABSTRACT 51 1111. C1. F04b 17/00 1 [58] Field of Search 417/360; 361, 424; A guide means 15 provlded for a p p Such that the 4 5 2 9 222 335 guide, affixed to a cylindrical guide pipe, engages a guide sleeve on a pump. The sleeve is so designed that 5 References Cited the guide forces the pump into proper alignment with UNITED STATES PATENTS a dehvelry 3,234.885 2/1966 Englesson 417/360 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAIENTEB m 1 9 m4 v INVEN TOR M WJ W WW Z n vrr J9 1pm 1 2 ALIGNMENT MEANS FOR AN IMMERSIBLE FIG. 2, is a section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1

' PUMP on a larger scale;

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to pump units which may be lowerable into a tank and which comprise a drive motor and a pump connected therewith and in particular to guide elements for guiding the pressure feed pipe of the pump opposite the inlet aperture of the delivery line in the lowered position.

Assurance must be given by any guiding device that the pump upon approaching the end position, the pump pressure feed pipe is in a predetermined position relative to the connecting pipe of the delivery line, so that these parts will not collide. For this reason, pipes, such as square pipes, or rails, such as U-rails or T-rails have been used as guide rods or guide rails, which due to their profile and a guide element adapted thereto provide for an orderly guiding of the pump unit. Since such pipes or rails are not always available, pipes of circular cross-section, which are as a rule available everywhere, have been used before. It has then been necessary to use two pipes arranged directly side by side which in connection with a guide element of the pump unit embracing both pipes have taken care of an orderly guiding into the lowered position of the pump. These two guide tubes naturally increase the cost of the installa tion.

SUMMARY The invention has for its purpose to provide a pump unit lowerable into a tank, for the guiding of which one standard pipe is sufficient, that is, one of circular crosssection such as are available everywhere for installation purposes in a variety of diameters. For this purpose the invention provides in a pump unit lowerable into a tank. consisting of a drive motor and a pump connected therewith and guided with guide elements on guide rods. which unit can be brought with its pressure feed pipe opposite the inlet aperture of a delivery line.

The guide elements of the pump unit aligning devices are provided which at a certain distance from the lower end position come in engagement with aligning elements on the guide tubes, aligning the pump unit during its further lowering. Thus, at the guide tube there may be provided, for example, as an aligning element, an aligning pin or an aligning rib or the like extending parallel to the tube axis, over which there slides a recess on the inner circumference of the guide element. The guide element has a funnel type shape and widens from the inlet aperture for the aligning pin or rib downwardly to one-half the circumference. Naturally, in kinematic reversal, there may also be provided an aligning sleeve with funnel-shaped, upwardly widening recess at a certain distance .from the lower end position at the outer circumference of the guide tube and an aligning pin or rail at the inner circumference of the guide element. Naturally, also upwardly a certain inlet funnel may be provided in both cases.

The invention permits many possibilities of execution. In the drawing, a form of execution is given as an example, in which:

BRIEF DESCRlPTiON OF THE DRAWENG FIG. 2 shows a side elevational view of a pump equip-- rent constructed according to the invention that is essentiai for understanding it;

FIG. 3 discloses a guide element, partly in section, substantially taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4, in the guide sleeve in development form.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the pump equipment shown in the drawing there is arranged on the bottom of a tank (not shown) a pipe elbow 11 which has at one end a flange for the connection of the delivery line 12 and at its other end a flange connectable with the pressure feed pipe 131 of the pump 13. Pump 13 is combined with an electric motor 14 to form a unit which, by means of a supporting cable 15, and a guide sleeve 16 serving as guide element and connected with pump 13 as well as by means of a guide tube 17 can be brought with its pressure feed pipe 131 opposite the inlet aperture of the pipe elbow 11 of the delivery line. In the example of construction shown, there has been taken as point of departure an arrangement where the connection of the pressure feed pipe 131 of pump 13 with the elbow 11 of the delivery line 12 is brought about in that the guide tube 17 is rotated about its axis about 180, in doing which it pulls the flange of the pressure feed pipe 131 against the opposite flange of the elbow 11 due to its eccentric position on elbow 11.

As guide tube 17 there serves a standard installation pipe of circular cross-section. This guide tube 17 is provided with an aligning rib 171 at a certain distance from its lower end, which distance results from the flange diameter of the pressure feed pipe 131 and of the elbow 11. The guide sleeve 16 is connected with pump 13 by a holding arm 132 and is provided at its inner circumference with recesses which, as FIG. 4 shows, leave standing a projection 161, rhomboid in development, which by its delimiting areas 162, 163 on the one hand and 164, 165 on the other hand forms an inlet funnel for each, leading to the aligning aperture 166 for the aligning rib.

If one lets the pump unit slide downward on the guide rod or guide tube 17, and if the position relatively to the pipe does not coincide with the position which the unit must have for the flange of the pressure feed pipe 131 to slide past the flange of the elbow 11, the guide sleeve 16 first comes in engagement with one of the delimiting areas 162 or 163 of the inlet funnel formed by them provided with the aligning rib 171. Under the influence of its dead weight and in conjunction with the incline of these delimiting faces there results a rotation of the unit about the pipe axis until the aligning aperture 166 is aligned with the aligning rib 171 and guides itself thereon over a certain distance. which is sufficient to guide the flange of the pressure feed pipe 131 at least partly in front of the flange of the elbow 11.

What is claimed is:

1. A submersible electric motor-pump assembly having means for lowering a pump in a fluid and guiding the outlet of said pump to a discharge pipe, comprising: a single guide rod of circular cross-section and alignment means including an. alig n lement affixed to said guide rod mutually cooperatively associated theremeans in said inner circumference, and said recess means being adapted to slide over said element; said guide sleeve comprising guide means including in development form associated recess means adapted to engage said alignment means of said guide rod for positioning said pump outlet in alignment with said discharge pipe as said pump assembly is lowered in position; and said associated recess means being of funneltype shape or similar form which widens from said first recess means to about one-half of the circumference thereof.

2. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said guide sleeve having funnel-type shapes or similar forms extending in widening directions from opposite ends of said first recess means.

3. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment element comprises an alignment rib extending parallel with the axis of said guide rod.

4. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment element comprises an alignment pin affixed to said guide rod so as to extend outwardly therefrom.

5. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment element is disposed adjacent the lower end of said guide rod; and said guide sleeve is adapted to reciprocate and turn with respect to said guide rod, except upon said first recess means being aligned with respect to said element whereupon said guide sleeve is thereafter restricted to only straight line motion. 

1. A submersible electric motor-pump assembly having means for lowering a pump in a fluid and guiding the outlet of said pump to a discharge pipe, comprising: a single guide rod of circular cross-section and alignment means including an alignment element affixed to said guide rod mutually cooperatively associated therewith; a guide sleeve having an inner circumference associated with said pump assembly and being adapted to engage about said guide rod so as to be moveable with respect thereto; said guide sleeve having a first recess means in said inner circumference, and said recess means being adapted to slide over said element; said guide sleeve comprising guide means including in development form associated recess means adapted to engage said alignment means of said guide rod for positioning said pump outlet in alignment with said discharge pipe as said pump assembly is lowered in position; and said associated recess means being of funnel-type shape or similar form which widens from said first recess means to about one-half of the circumference thereof.
 2. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said guide sleeve having funnel-type shapes or similar forms extending in widening directions from opposite ends of said first recess means.
 3. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment element comprises an alignment rib extending parallel with the axis of said guide rod.
 4. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment element comprises an alignment pin affixed to said guide rod so as to extend outwardly therefrom.
 5. The pump assembly according to claim 1, wherein said alignment element is disposed adjacent the lower end of said guide rod; and said guide sleeve is adapted to reciprocate and turn with respect to said guide rod, except upon said first recess means being aligned with respect to said element whereupon said guide sleeve is thereafter restricted to only straight line motion. 